Local briefs

December 13, 2012

A turkey drive for Minot's Horn of Plenty project didn't just take flight, it soared, according to a news release from Trinity Health.

Trinity Health pledged to provide 100 turkeys for the Horn of Plenty's annual event. By the end of the two-week effort, employees and others exceeded that goal by a factor of four, raising $6,322 and enough funds to purchase more than 400 turkeys. The Horn of Plenty was expected to need about 350 to meet their demand and remaining funds will be used to buy other needed items to complete the gift baskets. A group of Trinity Health employees will help distribute baskets to selected families today.

"Their generosity and outpouring of support reflects the compassion and care that our employees show everyday for others. We are all hoping it helps to make the holiday season a little brighter for hundreds of families," said Trinity vice-president Randy Schwan. "We were very pleased to collect donations from callers and visitors to our care system as well. The spirit and excitement of Christmas was evident during this event."

Employees, visitors and others contributed to the turkey drive. Delivery of the turkeys to Horn of Plenty will take place today.

Jill Hambek

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Burglary at the Comfort Inn

An employee of Minot's Comfort Inn reported a burglary early Wednesday morning. Shortly after the report, Aubrey Thomas Wicker, 34, and Wyatt Knutson, 24, both of Minot, were stopped by police in a vehicle matching the description given by the employee. Both were arrested based on evidence police found in an initial investigation, according to a police report.

Both Wicker and Knutson were charged with a felony count for conspiracy to commit burglary. Wicker was charged with additional felony counts for burglary, theft of property, preventing arrest, and two misdemeanor counts of driving under suspension and disobeying a movement control order.

Flint McColgan

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Fire destroys Rice Lake home

A rented mobile home, occupied by a mother and her teenage daughter and son, caught on fire around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday. The fire was brought under control about two hours later.

The owner of the home said that he was warming frozen pipes under the trailer when a heater ignited insulation and the house caught on fire, said Ryder Fire Chief Carey Larson.

The mobile home itself is considered a total loss, but the residents were able to salvage some of their personal possessions.

Flint McColgan

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Police say escaped youth not in Fargo

"We have no information that they are in Fargo," Lt. Joel Vettel of the Fargo Police Department said of two remaining juveniles of the group of five who escaped from Mandan's Youth Correctional Center Sunday.

Three of the boys were caught Tuesday after they crashed a minivan into a tree in residential Fargo. The three who were caught are believed to have been the only occupants of the minivan.

At least one of the remaining two boys has roots in Minot, according to unofficial police reports, which may have been the reason the group came to Minot after their escape and stole the minivan that crashed in Fargo.

All law enforcement agencies in the state of North Dakota are aware of the two remaining escaped juveniles, Vettel said.

Flint McColgan

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Three trucks collide near Arnegard

ARNEGARD Two eastbound Freightliner semi-trucks collided five miles west of Arnegard on U.S. Highway 85 Tuesday morning, resulting in a third, westbound, International semi-truck also being hit, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

A 2003 Freightliner driven by Edward Worthington, 48, of Minot, was slowing to make a left-hand turn southbound onto 138th Avenue Northwest when its trailer was hit by a 2007 Freightliner driven by David Broadbent, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo., under clear conditions and scattered ice and snow. After striking the trailer, Broadbent's truck entered the westbound lane and struck an International semi-truck driven by Jerome Buffa, 46, of Conroe, Texas.

Broadbent, whose truck suffered moderate damage, was injured and was transported to McKenzie County Hospital. Broadbent's truck was a total loss. There is no information available about Buffa's condition on the state crash report, and the Williston office of the Highway Patrol was unavailable Wednesday afternoon.